(19)
(11) EP 1 312 587 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
28.04.2004 Bulletin 2004/18

(43) Date of publication A2:
21.05.2003 Bulletin 2003/21

(21) Application number: 02023574.3

(22) Date of filing: 23.10.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: C03C 25/62, C03C 25/12
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 15.11.2001 US 987673

(71) Applicant: ALCATEL
75008 Paris (FR)

(72) Inventors:
  • Khudyakov, Igor V.
    Hickory, N.C. 28601 (US)
  • Overton, Bob
    Lenoir, N.C. 28645 (US)

(74) Representative: Dreiss, Fuhlendorf, Steimle & Becker 
Patentanwälte, Postfach 10 37 62
70032 Stuttgart
70032 Stuttgart (DE)

   


(54) UV-cure of coating for optical fiber assisted by ultrasound


(57) The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for curing coatings on optical fibers, without creating additional heat and compromising the manufacturing speed of optical fibers. The present invention uses at least one ultrasonic transducer (11,11a) coupled to a component of the optical fiber draw tower, such as the coating die (12), curing stage device or sheath (13,14,15), to emit ultrasound to the coating of the fiber. The use of ultrasound with current coating cure techniques, such as UV radiation curing, aids in accelerating the coating cure process through the effects of sonolysis, allowing an increase in current manufacturing speeds of optical fibers.






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